User authentication based on SS7 call forwarding detection

ABSTRACT

A user authentication system that analyzes call forwarding information obtained from telecommunication networks, such as through the use of Signaling System No. 7 (“SS7”) protocols, to detect the possibility of fraud. In response to a request to access a network-accessible service, the system performs an initial authentication of provided user account credentials. The system then obtains a telecommunication subscriber identifier that is associated with the user account. Prior to performing additional device-based user authentication, the system obtains call forwarding information for the user. The obtained call forwarding information is then evaluated for potentially fraudulent call forwarding configurations. For example, call forwarding to certain call forwarding numbers, or the use of different call forwarding types, may be indicative of fraud intended to undermine further user authentication.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/787,588 entitled “USER AUTHENTICATION BASED ON SS7 CALL FORWARDINGDETECTION,” filed on Oct. 18, 2017, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Internet users regularly register accounts with websites, cloudapplications, or other online services. The user's account information,including a username and password, is generally kept securely by theservice and used for the purpose of authenticating that a subsequentvisitor to the service is the user they purport to be. Onceauthenticated, the user is granted access to the service.

Most online services use traditional username and password checks as afirst layer of security. To improve account security, online servicesmay also layer additional factors of authentication beforeauthenticating a user. A common form of a second factor ofauthentication involves the exchange of a one-time code between theonline service and a visitor to the service via a verification devicethat has already been associated with a user of the service. Bysuccessfully exchanging the one-time code, the service visitorostensibly demonstrates their possession of the verification device,thereby providing a further indication that they are the user theypurport to be. Often the verification device is the user's mobiletelephone and is distinct from the login device used to access theonline service, or receives the one-time code through a communicationchannel different from that used by the login device. By authenticatingusers through a combination of a username and password check as well asone-time code exchange (the combination commonly referred to astwo-factor authentication, or “2FA”), online services are able to moresecurely grant account access to only intended users while preventingaccess by those who have compromised one of the two security layers.

Unfortunately, the additional security provided by two-factorauthentication can be undermined by an unauthorized individual, bymanipulating communication with the verification device or the deviceitself. For example, if a one-time code that is intended for theverification device of a user is instead received by a different devicein possession of an unauthorized individual, then the unauthorizedindividual may be able to exchange the one-time code with the onlineservice, thereby making the individual appear to be in possession of theknown verification device. In other words, the unauthorized individualmay be able to satisfy the second factor of authentication withoutactual possession of the verification device associated with the user,thus aiding the individual's unauthorized access of the user account. Itwould therefore be desirable to be able to identify when the one-timecode exchange between an online service and a trusted verificationdevice associated with a user account has been compromised, therebypreventing potentially fraudulent access to the user account.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a representative environment in which a userauthentication system based on SS7 call forwarding information mayoperate.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a process implemented by theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system to grant a useraccess to a service.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a process implemented by theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system to evaluate usercall forwarding information for indications of fraud.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of tables containing known fraudulent andtrusted call forwarding numbers, as may be used by theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system.

The techniques introduced in this disclosure can be better understood byreferring to the following Detailed Description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A system that analyzes call forwarding information obtained fromtelecommunication networks, such as through the use of Signaling SystemNo. 7 (“SS7”) protocols, to facilitate user authentication in connectionwith the use of a website, an online application, a mobile application,or other network-accessible service is disclosed herein. In response toa request to access a network-accessible service, such as registering anaccount with the service or logging into a previously-registered accountassociated with the service, the system performs an initialauthentication of any provided user account credentials (e.g., verifiesthat a provided username and password match the username and password ofa previously-registered user account). The system then obtainsinformation related to the user's subscription to a telecommunicationnetwork, such as a mobile communication number belonging to the user, oran identifier uniquely identifying the user (or “subscriber”) on thetelecommunication network. Prior to performing additional device-baseduser authentication, the system obtains call forwarding information forthe user's telecommunication network subscription using the obtainedsubscriber information. Call forwarding information may be obtained, forexample, by querying the telecommunication network with which thesubscriber is associated or other telecommunication networks accessibleto the system, using SS7 requests. The system then evaluates theobtained call forwarding information for indications of fraud associatedwith the user. For example, as described herein, call forwarding tocertain call forwarding numbers, or the use of different call forwardingtypes, may be indicative of attempted fraud.

Further authentication of the request to access the network-accessibleservice, thereby granting access, is performed based on the system'sdetermination of whether there is an attempt at user fraud. For example,if the system determines that there are no fraud indications, then thesystem may perform one-time-code-based authentication using the mobilecommunication device, thereby verifying that the individual attemptingto access the network-accessible service has the device and is, in alllikelihood, the purported user. Code-based authentication may beperformed, for example, using a code sent to the mobile communicationdevice using a Short Message Service (“SMS”) message or other text-basedmessage, or a voice call to the device that recites a code. However, ifthe system determines that there is a possibility of fraud associatedwith the user (e.g., suspicious call forwarding is enabled for theuser's telecommunication network subscription), the system may deny therequest to access the network-accessible service. As a still furtherexample, if the system determines that there is a possibility of fraudassociated with the user, the system may perform one-time-code-basedauthentication using the mobile communication device, but uponsuccessful exchange of the code, indicate to the network-accessibleservice the identified possibility of fraud. As an additional example,if the system determines that there is a possibility of fraud associatedwith the user, the system may attempt to authenticate the purported userusing an alternative method or channel (e.g., using pre-set securitychallenge questions, code-based exchange via an alternativecommunication channel, etc.). In other words, by evaluating callforwarding information, the system is able to detect a mechanism offraud used to undermine layers of authentication that rely onauthentication devices (such as the device-based exchange of one-timecodes, commonly used in 2FA authentication systems), thereby improvingthe security of user authentication.

In some embodiments, the system obtains call forwarding information byquerying a telecommunication network using SS7 protocols. For example,the system may use the Mobile Application Part (“MAP”) protocol requestInterrogateSS, which obtains information on supplementary services usedby mobile subscribers and mobile communication devices, to determinewhether the user has call forwarding active. In addition to determiningwhether call forwarding is active, the InterrogateSS command retrievesthe call forwarding number to which incoming calls are to be forwarded,as well as the type of call forwarding that is active (i.e., thecondition under which an incoming call is to be forwarded to the callforwarding number). While other signaling techniques for obtaining callforwarding information can detect “early” call forwarding types (i.e.,unconditional call forwarding or call forwarding when the subscriber'smobile communication device is unreachable/powered off), it should benoted that the InterrogateSS request is able to detect early callforwarding types (i.e., unconditional and unreachable) as well as callforwarding busy and call forwarding no reply/no answer—thereby enablingthe system to detect additional call forwarding scenarios. It has alsobeen observed that the InterrogateSS request is more reliably enabled bycarriers, whom are able to configure which requests are available toexternal networks on the carrier networks, thereby improving thecoverage of carriers for which call forwarding information can beobtained by the system. The use of the InterrogateSS request is enabledby the system's access to the SS7 network. Though primarily describedwith respect to using the InterrogateSS request, the system may obtaincall forwarding information associated with a subscriber by utilizingother queries directed to a SS7 network or other telecommunicationnetwork.

In some embodiments, the system obtains call forwarding informationusing alternative network messages and requests. For example, in atelecommunication network other than an SS7 network, the system mayutilize a single command or combination of commands that provides atleast some of the call forwarding information described herein.

In some embodiments, the system uses information specific to users ormobile communication devices associated with users to help determinewhether call forwarding information is indicative of fraud. For example,for different users the system may maintain a list of trusted forwardingnumbers associated with that user or the user's associated mobilecommunication device, which do not cause an indication of fraud whencalls are forwarded to the trusted forwarding number. Trusted forwardingnumbers may be provided by a user to the system, may be identified bythe system based on subsequent authentication after an unknownforwarding number is being used for a user, or by other technique whichdemonstrates the trusted nature of the unknown forwarding number. Theuser-specific trusted forwarding information may additionally includeindications of forwarding type, such that a forwarding number is treatedas trusted when one type of call forwarding is active (e.g., forward onbusy), but not treated as trusted when a second type of call forwardingis active (e.g., forward unconditional).

In some embodiments, the system maintains known trusted and entrustedforwarding numbers applicable to all mobile subscribers. For example,some carriers configure subscriber call forwarding to a specific numberused for voicemail; the system may maintain a list of carrier-definedvoicemail numbers such that the identification of call forwarding to oneof those numbers does not cause an indication of fraud. As an additionalexample, the system may maintain a list of forwarding numbers that havebeen identified from previous fraud attempts; when incoming calls to auser are forwarded to one of those numbers, the system may determinethere is a high likelihood of fraud. As a further example, the systemmay maintain an indication of carriers that are frequently associatedwith fraud. For example, it has been observed that certain carriers thatprovide prepaid services are typically used briefly for fraudulentpurposes, and then the service is disposed of. The system may identifywhen call forwarding is active to any number belonging to the suspectcarrier, and indicate a likelihood of fraud accordingly.

Though primarily described with reference to call forwarding activatedfor incoming calls to a user's mobile communication number, the systemfor SS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication may detect other formsof forwarding. For example, the system may be used to detect when SMSmessage forwarding is activated for a mobile communication number, whichcould be used to undermine a SMS-based one-time code exchange.

Though primarily described with reference to a mobile telecommunicationnetwork, the system for SS7-call-forwarding-based user authenticationmay be used to detect forwarding associated with other telecommunicationnetworks that can be used to enhance user authentication. For example,the system may be used in connection with a landline telephone numberassociated with a user account and connected to a landline network, amobile pager, or other forms of verification device that facilitate 2FAauthentication.

Though primarily described with reference to verifying a request toaccess a network-accessible service using a previously-registered useraccount, it will be appreciated that the SS7-call-forwarding-based userauthentication system can be used in connection with other types ofaccesses to online or financial services. For example, as part of aprocess for creating a user account that requires registering a mobilecommunication number to the account during account creation, the systemmay evaluate call forwarding information of the number to be registeredin order to identify indications of fraud at account creation. Asfurther examples, the system may evaluate call forwarding informationfor fraud when a user is attempting to wire money to or from a bank,when a user is attempting a credit card transaction, when a user isperforming account maintenance associated with an online account (e.g.,changing an account password, account contact information, or otheraccount settings), etc. That is, the system can be used to detectindications of forwarding fraud in any scenario in which a telephonecall, SMS message, or other form of code exchange is being used toauthenticate a transaction or network-accessible service access.

Though the system for SS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication isdescribed in the context of a 2FA authentication system in which a firstfactor of authentication comprises the authentication of usercredentials (e.g., a username and password) and a second factor ofauthentication comprises authentication based on one-time code exchange,it will be appreciated that the system can be used with other layers orforms of user authentication. For example, the system can be used in anembodiment in which a first factor of authentication comprises theproviding of a username, without a password, in which the exchange ofone-time codes via a verified telephone number provides adequateauthentication. In said embodiment the system may, for example, verifythat the provided username is registered with or otherwise known to thesystem or network-accessible service. As a further example, the systemcan be used in an embodiment in which authentication is performed usingonly the mobile communication device based on the verification of themobile communication number associated with the mobile communicationdevice. It will be appreciated that the system can be used in anyembodiment of user authentication (including multi-factor factorauthentication) in which a factor of authentication is based oncommunication with a mobile communication device and/or using atelephone number associated with the device.

Various implementations of the system will now be described. Thefollowing description provides specific details for a thoroughunderstanding and an enabling description of these implementations. Oneskilled in the art will understand, however, that the system may bepracticed without many of these details or with alternative approaches.Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shownor described in detail so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring therelevant description of the various implementations. The terminologyused in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted inits broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used inconjunction with a detailed description of certain specificimplementations of the system.

Suitable Environments

FIG. 1 and the following discussion provide a brief, general descriptionof a suitable environment in which a system for authenticating usersbased on SS7-obtained call forwarding information may be implemented.Although not required, aspects of the system are described in thegeneral context of computer-executable instructions, such as routinesexecuted by a general-purpose computer, a personal computer, a server,or other computing system. The system can also be embodied in a specialpurpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed,configured, or constructed to perform one or more of thecomputer-executable instructions explained in detail herein. Indeed, theterms “computer” and “computing device,” as used generally herein, referto devices that have a processor and non-transitory memory, like any ofthe above devices, as well as any data processor or any device capableof communicating with a network. Data processors include programmablegeneral-purpose or special-purpose microprocessors, programmablecontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),programming logic devices (PLDs), or the like, or a combination of suchdevices. Computer-executable instructions may be stored in memory, suchas random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, orthe like, or a combination of such components. Computer-executableinstructions may also be stored in one or more storage devices, such asmagnetic or optical-based disks, flash memory devices, or any other typeof non-volatile storage medium or non-transitory medium for data.Computer-executable instructions may include one or more programmodules, which include routines, programs, objects, components, datastructures, and so on that perform particular tasks or implementparticular abstract data types.

Aspects of the system can also be practiced in distributed computingenvironments, where tasks or modules are performed by remote processingdevices, which are linked through a communications network, such as aLocal Area Network (“LAN”), Wide Area Network (“WAN”), or the Internet.In a distributed computing environment, program modules or subroutinesmay be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. Aspectsof the system described herein may be stored or distributed on tangible,non-transitory computer-readable media, including magnetic and opticallyreadable and removable computer discs, stored in firmware in chips(e.g., EEPROM chips). Alternatively, aspects of the system may bedistributed electronically over the Internet or over other networks(including wireless networks). Those skilled in the relevant art willrecognize that portions of the system may reside on a server computer,while corresponding portions may reside on a client computer.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 in which aSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system operates. Theenvironment may include a mobile communication device 105, a personalcomputing device 110, a laptop computer 150, a tablet computer 155, andtelevision 160, each of which may be used by a user to access a servercomputer 115 and one or more third-party server computers 125. Theserver computers 115 and 125 utilize data storage areas 120 and 130,respectively. As will be described in more detail herein, theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system may in part resideon the server computer 115, and assist with the identification andauthentication of a user who is utilizing a personal computing device110, mobile communication device 105, laptop computer 150, tabletcomputer 155, or television 160 to access websites, applications (e.g.,mobile application, “smart” television applications, etc.) or othernetwork-accessible services provided by the third-party server computers125. For example, a user may attempt to access a network-accessibleservice with a personal computing device 110 used as a “login device,”and the system may authenticate the user request based on, in part,whether call forwarding is active for incoming calls or messages to themobile communication device 105 (a “verification device”) and whetherthe user successfully exchanges one-time codes via the verificationdevice.

The data storage area 120 contains data utilized by theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system, and, in someimplementations, software necessary to perform functions of the system.For example, the data storage area 120 may contain data associated witha user, such as a registered username and password, as well as a mobilecommunication number belonging to the user and associated with theuser's mobile communication device. As a further example, the datastorage area 120 may store known trusted and untrusted call forwardingnumbers, associated with a user or known generally. As will be describedin more detail herein, as part of an authentication process, the systemobtains call forwarding information for incoming calls or messages tothe mobile communication number, and uses the call forwardinginformation to identify the potential of fraud before performingadditional layers of authentication (such as one-time code exchangeutilizing the mobile communication device).

The mobile communication device 105, personal computing device 110,laptop computer 150, tablet computer 155, television 160, servercomputer 115 and third-party server computers 125 communicate with eachother through one or more public or private, wired or wireless networks140 and 145, including, for example, the Internet and telecommunicationnetworks. The mobile communication device 105 communicates wirelesslywith a base station or access point using a wireless mobile telephonestandard, such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM),Long Term Evolution (LTE), IEEE 802.11, or another wireless standard,and the base station or access point communicates with the servercomputer 115 and third-party server computers 125 via the network 140.Personal computing device 110 communicates through the network 140using, for example, TCP/IP protocols. The mobile communication device105 additionally communicates wirelessly with the telecommunicationnetwork 145 using, for example, nearby cell towers or base stationsusing wireless mobile telephone standards, such as Global System forMobile Communications (GSM), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access),General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), and the like. The telecommunicationnetwork 145 may support and be operated using SS7 protocols andprocedures. The network 140 and telecommunication network 145 may beinterconnected such that, for example, a mobile communication device 105connected to the telecommunication network 145 can communicate via thenetwork 140 with server computer 115, third-party server computers 125,and other devices connected to the network. The mobile communicationdevice 105 utilizes applications or other software, which operatethrough the use of computer executable instructions. Some suchapplications may be directed toward the user authentication process(e.g., receiving a one-time code from the system and providing it to auser). As will be described in more detail herein, the authenticationsystem residing at least in part on the server computer 115 may alsoutilize software which operates through the use of computer-executableinstructions as part of the authentication process.

Flows for Authenticating a User Based on SS7 Call Forwarding Information

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating example process 200, implementedby a SS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system, forauthenticating a request to access network-accessible service.

The process 200 begins at block 210, where the system receives anindividual request to access network-accessible service. The request mayinclude information identifying a user account previously registeredwith the service (e.g., a username) (the “purported user”), as well asverification information associated with the registered account (e.g., apassword).

At a decision block 220, the system determines whether the informationincluded as part of the request satisfies an initial authenticationcheck. For example, the system verifies that there is apreviously-registered account for the network-accessible service that isassociated with the provided username. As a further example, if theinformation received as part of the user request includes a password,the system may further verify that the previously-registered account isassociated with a password that matches the received password. If it isdetermined that the provided username and password are not verifiablefor the service, then the process continues to a block 275. If it isdetermined that the provided username and password are valid for theservice, then processing continues to a block 230.

In some embodiments the system receives the request to access thenetwork-accessible service from the service. When the request isreceived from the service, aspects of initial authentication may havebeen performed by the service before the request was transmitted to thesystem. For example, the service (or a different authentication service)may have already verified that a username and password received from auser matches a previously-registered account of the service. Wheninitial authentication has been performed by a different service, therequest received by the system may be to perform additionalauthentication (e.g., based on call forwarding information). In thoseembodiments the process 200 may continue from the block 210 directly tothe block 230.

At the block 230, the system detects information regarding activatedcall forwarding for a mobile communication number of the user account.Call forwarding information includes, for example, the forwarding numberto which incoming voice calls or messages to the mobile communicationnumber should be forwarded, as well as the conditions under which theincoming calls will be forwarded. For example, call forwarding may beconfigured such that incoming calls to the mobile communication numberare forwarded unconditionally or forwarded when the mobile communicationnumber is busy. As described in greater detail herein, to determine ifcalls to the mobile communication number (e.g., a telephone number) ofthe account are being forwarded, the system utilizes an associatedunique subscriber identifier (e.g., an international mobile subscriberidentity, or “IMSI”) to obtain call forwarding information from atelecommunication network.

At a decision block 240, the system determines, based on the obtainedcall forwarding information, whether any call forwarding configured forthe mobile communication number is indicative of a possibility of fraud.Forwarding conditions that are indicative of a possibility of fraudinclude call forwarding to a number that is not recognized or associatedwith a user, call forwarding to a number that has been associated withprior fraudulent activities, call forwarding to a foreign country, etc.Call forwarding, if configured fraudulently, could be used to underminethe use of the mobile communication number for further authentication ofthe purported user. If it is determined that the obtained callforwarding information is indicative of a possibility of fraud (e.g.,calls to the mobile communication number are configured tounconditionally forward to a number associated with previous fraudulentactivities), then processing continues to the block 275. If none of theobtained call forwarding information is indicative of a possibility offraud, processing continues to a block 250. The operation of blocks 230and 240 is described in greater detail in FIG. 3

At the block 250, the system performs code-based authentication of thepurported user. The system may, for example, generate a one-time codeused to verify the purported user's possession of a mobile communicationdevice associated with the user account. The system may then transmitthe one-time code to the mobile communication device using a mobilecommunication number associated with the device. The one-time code maybe transmitted to the mobile communication device using, for example, anSMS or other type of message, an application installed on the mobilecommunication device and associated with the system ornetwork-accessible service, a website, a voice call to the mobilecommunication device that recites the one-time code, etc. Followingreceipt of the one-time code, the user responds by providing aresponsive code to the system through a communication channel or devicedistinct from that used to receive the one-time code. For example, theuser may transmit the responsive code using the computing device used toaccess the network-accessible service via a data channel. The systemthen compares the one-time code and the responsive code to determine ifthey match. In some embodiments, the system may transmit the one-timecode to the user via the computing device used to access the service,and the user may transmit the responsive code via an SMS message fromthe mobile communication device; in those embodiments the system mayadditionally verify the SMS message containing the responsive code isreceived from the mobile communication number associated with theaccount of the purported user.

In some embodiments, when fraud conditions are detected, the process 200may still continue to block 250 rather than terminate at block 275. Inthose embodiments in which the process 200 continues to the block 250even when fraud conditions are detected, the further authentication ofthe purported user may be modified. For example, in addition to thecode-based authentication check described with respect to block 250,other authentication checks may be performed. For example, the systemmay maintain location information associated with previous successfulauthentications of the user, and may determine whether the currentlocation of the mobile communication device (obtained, for example,using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver of the mobilecommunication device or based on the known location of telecommunicationtowers in range of the mobile communication device) is within athreshold distance of any of the pervious locations. As a furtherexample, the user may be prompted to answer an additional securityquestion, which may have been previously answered by the user inconnection with establishing an account with the service. As a stillfurther example, the system may utilize a communication channel otherthan that associated with the mobile communication number (e.g., codeexchange via an application running on the mobile communication deviceassociated with the purported user). As an additional, the system mayprovide the network-accessible service with an indication thatconditions linked to a likelihood of fraud were detected. The servicemay use the fraud indication to, for example, limit the extent ofaccount access to the user or to request additional information once theuser has been granted access to the service. It will be appreciatedthat, with the benefit of recognizing potential fraud situations basedon call forwarding conditions, other security measures may be used bythe system and network-accessible services to further authenticate apurported user when required.

At a decision block 260, the system determines if the purported user hasbeen authenticated. The purported user may be authenticated if, forexample, the exchanged one-time code and responsive codes match and ifthere is no indication of fraud associated with the mobile communicationnumber used for the code exchange. If it is determined that the user isauthenticated, the process continues to a block 270 and the user isgranted access to the network-accessible service. In some embodiment thesystem grants the user access to the network-accessible service. In someembodiments the system indicates to the network-accessible service thatthe user has been authenticated and that the service may grant the useraccess. The process then terminates. If it is determined that the useris not authenticated, the process continues to the block 275.

At the block 275, user access to the network-accessible service isdenied. In some embodiments the system denies the user access to thenetwork-accessible service. In some embodiments the system send amessage to the network-accessible service indicating that the userauthentication attempt failed.

Although FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment in which a request to access anetwork-accessible service includes information identifying a useraccount (e.g., a username and a password) as part of an overall userauthentication, it will be appreciated that the system may authenticatethe access request without the same degree of identifying userinformation. For example, in some embodiment the system may receive onlyusername but no password in connection with request. In said embodimentthe system may or network-accessible service may verify that theusername is registered with or known to the service. As a furtherexample, in some embodiment the system may receive neither a usernamenor password. In said embodiment the system may, for example,authenticate the request using only code-based authentication, based ona mobile communication number obtained using information received aspart of the request.

Flows for Identifying Fraud Based on SS7 Call Forwarding Information

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating example process 300, implementedby a SS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system, foridentifying instances of fraud based on call forwarding informationassociated with a mobile communication number. The process 300 may beused as part of authentication flow, such as the process 200 and theoperation of blocks 230 and 240 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The process 300 begins at block 310, where the system retrieves a mobilecommunication number for a mobile communication device associated with auser account. The mobile communication number may have been previouslyprovided by a user, for example, during an account registration stepused to create an account with a network-accessible service. That is,when creating an account with a service, the user may be asked toprovide (or may be provided) a username and a password for the service.The user is also asked to provide a mobile communication numberassociated with a mobile communication device that the user controls.The mobile communication number may be stored by the service or thesystem in association with the user's registered account, and may besubsequently retrieved by the system based on account information (suchas a username provided as part of a request to access the service).

In some embodiments, rather than obtaining the mobile communicationnumber based on a prior association with a user account, the system mayretrieve the mobile communication number directly from the mobilecommunication device of the user. For example, an application on themobile communication device may obtain the mobile communication numberusing device-supported application programming interfaces. Theapplication may obtain the mobile communication number in response to,for example, the user attempting to access the network-accessibleservice with the application, based on a request from the service, orbased on a request from the system.

At a block 320, the system obtains the international mobile subscriberidentity (“IMSI”) corresponding to the user's mobile communicationnumber. The IMSI, which uniquely identifies each subscriber on awireless telecommunication network, may be obtained by querying thetelecommunication network. For example, the system may use the mobilecommunication number, or associated mobile subscriber ISDN number(“MSISDN”), to send a Send Routing Information for Short Message (“SRISM”) to the SS7 network. Following SS7 protocols, the SRI SM request isforwarded through the network to the home location register (“HLR”)associated with the subscriber corresponding to the mobile communicationnumber. The HLR responds with the IMSI associated with the providedmobile communication number. In some embodiments, the system may obtainthe IMSI directly from the mobile communication device. For example, anapplication running on the mobile communication device associated withthe system or the network-accessible service may obtain the IMSI fromthe mobile communication device using operating system interfaces. Thedevice-obtained IMSI may then be transmitted to the system and stored inassociation with the user's account information.

At a block 330, the system interrogates the SS7 network for informationon supplementary services associated with the user's mobilecommunication subscription using the obtained IMSI. The system mayobtain information on various supplementary services, or mayspecifically request information on call forwarding. For example, thesystem may send an InterrogateSS request on the SS7 network thatincludes as a parameter the supplementary services code corresponding tocall forwarding (e.g., “InterrogateSS(forwardingInfo)”). Following SS7protocols, the InterrogateSS request is routed to the HLR associatedwith the subscriber. In response to the InterrogateSS request, the HLRresponds with information on supplementary services associated with thesubscriber corresponding to the IMSI (i.e., the user).

At a block 335, the system receives the response to the interrogationrequest. The InterrogateSS response includes, for example, aforwardingFeatureList datum that defines the call forwarding status ofthe user. The InterrogateSS response may also include supplementaryservice state information which provides, for example, whether thesupplementary service has been provisioned, whether it has beenregistered, whether it has been activated, and whether it has beenquiesced (i.e., a P-bit, a R-bit, an A-bit, and a Q-bit). Because it hasbeen observed that carrier networks are more likely to respond tothird-party InterrogateSS requests than they are other status-inquirymessages, the use of the InterrogateSS request improves the likelihoodof obtaining supplementary services information even when the networkthrough which the system initiates its request is external to thenetwork of the subscriber (where the HLR is located).

At a block 340, the system determines the call forwarding configurationfor the user based on the SS7-network-obtained InterrogateSS response.For example, the forwardFeatureList received as part of theInterrogateSS response is made up of one or more forwardFeature datums,each of which describes a different call forwarding parameter for theuser. That is, if a user has call forwarding configured to forward toone of two different telephone numbers depending on the condition, thereceived forwardFeatureList would include two forwardFeature parameters.Each forwardFeature parameter includes status information (e.g., whetherthe particular forwarding parameter is active), the number to whichincoming calls are to be forwarded (“the call forwarding number”), andthe forwarding reason (i.e., the “type” of call forwarding, indicatingthe reason why calls would be forwarded according to that parameter).For example, the forwarding reason may be encoded as a field as part ofthe forwardFeature parameter as follows:

Value Forwarding reason 00 Device not reachable 01 Device busy 10 Noreply 11 Unconditional

That is, the received InterrogateSS response indicates, for each of thedifferent call forwarding parameters configured for the user, the numberto which calls will be forwarded and the reason or condition under whichthe calls will be forwarded. As indicated by the encoding of theforwarding reason of the forwardFeature parameter, a user's callforwarding may be configured such that incoming calls will be forwardedto the call forwarding number unconditionally, when the associatedmobile communication device is unreachable or powered off, when themobile communication device is busy, or when there is no reply or answerto an incoming call.

At a block 350, the system compares the determined call forwardingconfiguration of the user to known trusted and untrusted forwardinginformation. For example, as described in greater detail with respect toFIG. 4, the system may maintain a record of call forwardingconfigurations that are known to be trusted (i.e., not indicative offraud) and call forwarding configurations that are known to be untrusted(i.e., indicative of fraud). The system may maintain known trusted anduntrusted information that is associated with particular users (based oninformation that uniquely identifies the user as a subscriber to atelecommunication network, such as a mobile telecommunication number oran IMSI). That is, the system may maintain information indicating thatfor a particular user certain call forwarding configurations are trustedor untrusted. The system may additionally maintain known trusted anduntrusted information that is not associated with any particular users,but rather is applicable to all users being authenticated by the system.The determined call forwarding configuration of the user is compared tothe maintained trusted and untrusted forwarding information to identifywhether call forwarding is currently configured for the user in a mannerthat matches one of the known trusted or untrusted configurations. Amatch may occur based on the generally maintained trusted or untrustedcall forwarding information, or based on the maintained trusted oruntrusted call forwarding information for the particular user.

At a block 360, the system generates an indication of whether the callforwarding configuration of the user is indicative of a possibility offraud. In some embodiments, the indication of fraud is based on theresult of comparing the current call forwarding configuration of theuser to the maintained trusted and untrusted information. For example,the system may generate an indication of fraud when any configuration ofcall forwarding is detected for the user, unless the call forwardingconfiguration matches a known trusted configuration. As a furtherexample, the system may only generate an indication of fraud when thedetected call forwarding configuration of a user matches a knownuntrusted configuration. Though described as an indication of fraud ornot fraud, in some embodiments the system generates a fraud score basedon the call forwarding configuration. For example, in a representativeembodiment in which the system generates a fraud score from 0.0(indicating no chance of fraud) to 1.0 (indicating very high likelihoodof fraud), the system may generate a baseline fraud score (e.g., 0.5)when any call forwarding is detected, and then adjust the score up ordown based on whether the call forwarding configuration matches knowntrusted or untrusted configurations. As described herein, the generatedfraud indication or fraud score is used by the system to determine howto further authenticate a user requesting access to a network-accessibleservice.

Although FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment in which a detected callforwarding configuration of a user is compared to known trusted anduntrusted forwarding information to generate an indication of fraud, itwill be appreciated that the system may generate the fraud indicationbased on alternative or additional mechanisms. For example, in someembodiments the system may indicate fraud whenever call forwarding isconfigured for the user, or may indicate fraud whenever call forwardingis configured with a particular forwarding type (e.g., unconditionalcall forwarding). In some embodiments, the system indicates fraud whencall forwarding is set to a forwarding number with a country codedifferent from the country code of the mobile communication numberassociated with the user. In some embodiments, the system indicatesfraud when call forwarding has been configured for the user within athreshold recency (e.g., within the last 12 hours). It will beappreciated that other evaluations of the call forwarding configurationof a user may be performed to assess a likelihood of fraud based on callforwarding information.

Illustrations of Call Forwarding Information Used for Fraud Detection

FIG. 4 illustrates tables 400 and 450 of user-specific and general callforwarding fraud information, respectively. As described herein, theSS7-call-forwarding-based user authentication system may maintain knowntrusted and fraudulent call forwarding configurations, such asillustrated in tables 400 and 450, to in part determine whether a callforwarding configuration for a user is indicative of a likely or knownfraudulent condition.

Table 400 illustrates a representative table of user-specific callforwarding fraud information as may be used by the system. The table isuser-specific in that each entry in the table is associated with aspecific user (where, as illustrated in the table, user-specificinformation is maintained based on the phone number associated with theuser). When table 400 is used by the system for a fraud assessment,configurations in table 400 only influence the call forwarding frauddetermination for the corresponding user. Each entry in the table 400has a phone number field 405, which contains the phone number of a userused as part of an authentication process, to which the entry applies.Each entry also includes a forwarding type field 410 and forwardingnumber field 415, characterizing aspects of the maintainedconfiguration. The table may additionally include a fraud status field420, which indicates whether each entry corresponds to a knownfraudulent or trusted condition. For example, based on the table 400,the system may recognize that unconditional call forwarding from thephone number (555)123-0123 to the forwarding number (555)555-1212 is aknown trusted condition, while unconditional call forwarding from thesame phone number to the forwarding number (212)222-3333 is indicativeof a possibility of fraud. As a further example, based on the table 400,the system may recognize that call forwarding on not reachable from thephone number (412)222-3333 to (412)111-2222 is a known trustedcondition. Though table 400 illustrates an embodiment in whichuser-specific call forwarding fraud information is maintained based onthe phone number associated with the user, it will be appreciated thatother identifiers uniquely identifying the user may be used. Forexample, the system may maintain call forwarding fraud information inassociation with a username, with an IMSI associated with the user'ssubscription to a telecommunication network, with an internationalmobile equipment identity (“IMEI”) associated with the users mobilecommunication device, etc. It will be appreciated that other uniqueidentifiers associated with a user or a user's mobile communicationdevice may be used.

Table 450 illustrates a representative table of general call forwardingfraud information as may be used by the system. The table is general inthat entries in the table are not associated with a specific user, butrather may influence the call forwarding fraud determination for anyuser being authenticated by the system. Each entry in the table 450 hasa forwarding type field 455, a forwarding number field 460, and a fraudstatus field 465, and characterizes a known fraudulent or trusted callforwarding condition. For example, a carrier may implement its voicemailservice by forwarding unanswered calls to the number (555)555-1212.Accordingly the system may, as reflected in the example table 450,maintain an entry that indicates that forwarding to (555)555-1212 due tono reply is a trusted (i.e., not fraudulent condition). As a furtherexample, it may have been identified that the forwarding number(212)222-3333 has been frequently associated with fraud, and thereforethe table 450 may include an entry that call forwarding configured tothat number should be treated as fraudulent.

Though the tables 400 and 450 illustrate storing telephone numbers towhich calls are forwarded, it will be appreciated that the entries maystore different information to facilitate fraud detection. For example,an entry may include an area code and prefix of a forwarding number,which identifies the carrier to which calls are being forwarded, thoughnot the particular carrier number. Such entries enable the system to,for example, maintain information regarding carriers that have beenpreviously associated with call forwarding used for fraudulent purposes(e.g., call forwarding to a prepaid number offered by the carrier).Accordingly, the system can detect when a user's call forwardingconfiguration involves call forwarding to such a carrier.

CONCLUSION

The above Detailed Description of examples of the disclosed technologyis not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed technology tothe precise form disclosed above. While specific examples for thedisclosed technology are described above for illustrative purposes,various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of thedisclosed technology, as those skilled in the relevant art willrecognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in agiven order, alternative implementations may perform routines havingsteps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and someprocesses or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined,and/or modified to provide alternative or subcombinations. Each of theseprocesses or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways.Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed inseries, these processes or blocks may instead be performed orimplemented in parallel, or may be performed at different times.Further, any specific numbers noted herein are only examples:alternative implementations may employ differing values or ranges.

These and other changes can be made to the disclosed technology in lightof the above Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain examples of the disclosed technology, and describes the bestmode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, thedisclosed technology can be practiced in many ways. Details of thesystem may vary considerably in its specific implementation, while stillbeing encompassed by the technology disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the disclosed technology should not be taken to imply that theterminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specificcharacteristics, features, or aspects of the disclosed technology withwhich that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in thefollowing claims should not be construed to limit the disclosedtechnology to the specific examples disclosed in the specification,unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines suchterms.

We claim:
 1. A computer-implemented method of registering a user with anetwork-accessible service, the method comprising: receiving a requestfrom a user to register with a network-accessible service; identifying amobile telephone number associated with the request; obtaining asubscriber identifier associated with the mobile telephone number;transmitting, to a telecommunication network, a query of call forwardingservices associated with the subscriber identifier; receiving, from thetelecommunication network, a query response that comprises forwardinginformation associated with the subscriber identifier; evaluating thereceived forwarding information to detect conditions indicative offraud; and when a condition indicative of fraud is not detected,registering the user with the network-accessible service by:transmitting a verification code to a mobile communication deviceassociated with the mobile telephone number; receiving a response codefrom the user; and creating a user account with the network-accessibleservice when the verification code and the response code match, whereinthe user account includes the mobile telephone number.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the request from the user includes the mobile telephonenumber.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber identifier isan international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the IMSI is obtained by querying the telecommunicationnetwork.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the IMSI is obtained from themobile communication device via an application installed on the mobilecommunication device.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwardinginformation describes whether incoming communications to the mobiletelephone number are being forwarded to a forwarding number.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, wherein at least one of the incoming communicationsis a voice call.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of theincoming communications is a short message service (SMS) message.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the transmitted query of call forwardingservices is an InterrogateSS request.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereina fraud condition is detected when at least one incoming communicationto the mobile telephone number is being forwarded to a forwardingnumber.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein a fraud condition is detectedwhen at least one incoming communication to the mobile telephone numberis being forwarded to a forwarding number having a country codedifferent from a country code of the mobile telephone number.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, the method further comprising: maintaining datareflecting call forwarding configurations, wherein each call forwardingconfiguration comprises a call forwarding type and a call forwardingnumber; and wherein detecting a fraud condition is further based oncomparing the forwarding information to the maintained call forwardingconfigurations.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of themaintained call forwarding configurations further comprises a fraudstatus indicating whether the corresponding call forwardingconfiguration is a known fraudulent or known trusted configuration. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein the data further comprises at least oneentry indicating a known fraudulent telecommunication provider.
 15. Anon-transitory computer readable medium containing instructionsconfigured to cause one or more processors to perform a method ofregistering a user with a network-accessible service, the methodcomprising: receiving a request from a user to register with anetwork-accessible service; identifying a mobile telephone numberassociated with the request; obtaining a subscriber identifierassociated with the mobile telephone number; transmitting, to atelecommunication network, a query of call forwarding servicesassociated with the subscriber identifier; receiving, from thetelecommunication network, a query response that comprises forwardinginformation associated with the subscriber identifier; evaluating thereceived forwarding information to determine whether at least oneincoming communication to the mobile telephone number is being forwardedto a forwarding number; and when no incoming communications to themobile telephone number are indicated as being forwarded to a forwardingnumber, registering the user with the network-accessible service. 16.The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein thesubscriber identifier is an international mobile subscriber identity(IMSI), and wherein the IMSI is obtained by querying thetelecommunication network.
 17. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 15, wherein the transmitted query of call forwardingservices is an InterrogateSS request.
 18. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising: maintainingdata reflecting call forwarding configurations, wherein each callforwarding configuration comprise a call forwarding type and a callforwarding number; and wherein detecting a fraud condition is furtherbased on comparing the forwarding information to the maintained callforwarding configurations.
 19. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 18, wherein at least one of the maintained callforwarding configurations further comprises a fraud status indicatingwhether the corresponding call forwarding configuration is a knownfraudulent or known trusted configuration.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the data further comprisesat least one entry indicating a known fraudulent telecommunicationprovider.